Video: Margaret Aspinall and Andy Burnham MP pledge to see justice done for the Hillsborough 96

Campaigners were speaking shortly before anniversary of Hillsborough Independent Panel report on September 12

Photo by Gavin Trafford.
A year on from the release of Hillsborough Independant Panel Report Margaret Aspinall(HFSG) and Andy Burnham MP discuss progress in the fight for justice

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A YEAR ago this Thursday the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s report was published – and it changed everything.

In the first of an exclusive two-part interview, Paddy Shennan brings together former sports minister Andy Burnham – whose appearance at the 20th anniversary memorial service led to the formation of the panel – and Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group.

Margaret lost her son, James, 18, at Hillsborough. He would now be 42. She also has four other children: David, 40, Kerry, 35, Andrew, 32 and Louise, 30.

September 12, 2012, Liverpool Cathedral.

Andy Burnham : Can you believe it’s a year, Margaret? It’s been manic for you since then.

Margaret Aspinall : It has. You’re honoured to have me here!

Andy : I have to make a booking to get to see her these days!

Watch: John Sutton interviewed Andy and Margaret and asked them to reflect on the year since the HIP report

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Margaret : That morning, with all the families in Liverpool Cathedral, none of us knew what news we were going to get and we were all absolutely terrified. We were holding each other’s hands.

The first thing the (then) Bishop (James Jones, panel chairman) said to us was ‘I know what’s on all your minds – have we found anything new?’ I took a deep breath and thought ‘Please God, I hope you have’ – and he just said three simple words: ‘Yes, we have’.

The minute I heard that I thought ‘Oh thank God, our city has been exonerated. Liverpool was isolated in 1989. I always felt we were a lonely city for quite a few years. People were against us but the city was always behind us. That’s why I felt so much joy – I’m so proud of this city.

Andy : The whole day was just overwhelming. I remember the night before ringing you late on, Margaret. And I said ‘I’m feeling terrible, so I can’t imagine what you’re feeling’.

Margaret thanked me for what I’d done and I had tears rolling down my cheeks. There was so much pent-up emotion.

I was the only person who had permission to go to Downing Street to read the report, so I spent the morning in the splendour of No.10 reading it on my own. My emotions swayed from elation at the vindication of the thousands of people who were yearning for that vindication, to sheer anger.

What sticks in my mind was the section about the police national computer (attempts were made to “impugn the reputations of the deceased” by carrying out criminal record checks on those with a non-zero alcohol level).

It took me back to the night of the disaster when I was in a pub on the outskirts of Warrington, waiting for my Liverpool-supporting mates to come back and then hearing their stories. I kept thinking back to what the police were doing in Sheffield at the same time. I felt blind anger.

Later, I couldn’t concentrate on a word of Prime Minister’s Questions, or David Cameron’s apology.

Photo by Gavin Trafford. A year on from the release of Hillsborough Independant Panel Report Margaret Aspinall(HFSG) and Andy Burnham MP discuss progress in the fight for justice

Margaret: I can’t say that was a nice surprise, because we lost 96 people, but I thought ‘Gosh, he’s given us a lot more than I thought he would’. We will always be grateful for that.

Andy: I back that up.

Margaret: I always say it’s never too late to apologise for wrongs that have been done. What I do regret is that it could have been done years ago – and that would have given the families, survivors and the city a bit of comfort.

A lot of family members have died without seeing the truth come out. I am lucky because I am still here and will hopefully see the job finished properly. I must thank all the MPs who have been with us.

I’m sorry to say this in front of Andy but I always blamed Labour for letting us down – promises were not fulfilled. I’ve known Andy for a number of years and I trust him, like I trust (Walton MP) Steve Rotheram, (Garston and Halewood MP) Maria Eagle, (Halton MP) Derek Twigg and (Wirral South MP) Alison McGovern. These are the new generation and I don’t believe you can blame the sins of the fathers on their children.

The vigil at St George’s Plateau

Andy: I went from the Commons with Steve Rotheram and got the train to Liverpool. It was an occasion which really brought everyone together.

Margaret: Absolutely.

Andy: I remember looking out from the steps and the sky was bright blue over Lime Street.

Margaret: It felt as if a dark cloud had been lifted. It was a wonderful, wonderful feeling.

Andy: The day had a dramatic effect on people who had been affected by Hillsborough. People were coming up and saying they had never spoken to anyone about it before. And we finished off in the Ship and Mitre pub. It was an unforgettable night.

Andy (as Margaret laughs uncontrollably): My brother, John, who was there, texted me afterwards and said ‘Don’t worry. We’ve had many bad afternoons (as Evertonians) at Anfield. This wasn’t the first and won’t be the last!’ I agonised about going.

Steve Rotheram (then Lord Mayor of Liverpool) engineered it a bit, didn’t he Margaret? I think he had a sixth sense that this had to be the moment when we tried to do something, prompt something. He was clear I should do it.

Before the service (which attracted 30,000 people), my brother had texted saying ‘I don’t want to worry you but I am sitting in the Anfield Road End’. All sides of the ground were filling up. I look back at it as the best thing that ever happened. I think fate put me there. But you started the booing, didn’t you Margaret?!

Margaret: Sorry, I can’t stop laughing! He was taking all this stick and I could see Trevor (Hicks) next to me panicking. And I could see poor Andy standing there like a nodding donkey. Trevor said ‘Do you want to get up and stop this or should I?’ I said ‘He’s man enough, let him take it!’ I was right – he was man enough.

Andy: (As a member of the then Labour government) I kind of expected what happened and I wanted it to carry on in a weird way. But afterwards, I did say to Steve Rotheram ‘I am going home now’. But Steve, who is an incredible man and politician, said ‘No, you’re coming to talk to the families in the Town Hall (they were being awarded the Freedom of the City) – and that’s when things changed.

As I walked up the grand staircase the first people I saw were Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. I was feeling bruised and Kenny said ‘Oh God, you’ve not come to upset them all again, have you?’!

Margaret: That, to me, was the change of history. The change of everything. And to think you were a part of that, Andy, is something to be proud of. At the time you might have felt very nervous but, don’t forget, we have all felt nervous.

Poor Andy, it must have been one of his biggest learning curves...but he took our message back, kept his word and changed the story of Hillsborough.

Andy: It was everybody, wasn’t it? If it hadn’t been kept alive by people like you and (predecessors) Phil Hammond and Trevor Hicks and all the many other people who kept on going, then it wouldn’t have happened. When I got to the Town Hall I knew I was committed to seeing it all the way through – and we will see it all the way through, although we’ve still got a long way to go.

Margaret: The job is not finished, but with the support we’ve got I don’t think we can lose.